Gare au Gorille

Just steps from the train tracks leading to and from the Saint-Lazare train station, this is the new project from two Septime alums, Marc Cordonnier (Grébaut’s former sous-chef) and his front-of-house partner Louis Langevin. With a hip hop soundtrack and aspirations no grander than to be a good bistro, the quality of food they are putting out will nonetheless attract the sort of globetrotting gastronome crowd that they are fleeing from at Septime.

Lunch on a cold December day was a study in simplicity and balance: a soup of earthy Jerusalem artichoke with poached egg, smoked haddock, and a dab of bright sorrel pureé. Melting lamb shoulder napped by a profoundly deep jus and pierced by the bitter contrast of endives and turnips. Rich chocolate mousse textured by a high note of verveine and a thump of crunchy peanut. With three courses at lunch for 27€, they were turning people away at the door. Dinner is a program of small plates anchored by one or two big hunks for carnivores to share (an aged faux filet for 39€, or half a Challans duck). Small plate highlights included smoked eel croquettes with a vinegary red pepper purée (7€), sea scallops in a vibrant green puddle of cress (12€), and one of the best duck terrines I’ve ever tasted (8€).

Fans of Septime and Clamato will be familiar with the natural leaning wine list (Vallette, de Moor, Bobinet & Bain), the polished rusticity of the interior design, and a fair number of the service staff. This is not a complaint. Given that Septime has become all but impossible to reserve, the reproduction of its best qualities in another restaurant is something to be excited about.

— Meg Zimbeck, December 2014

Practical information

Address: 68 rue des Dames, 75017Nearest transport: Rome (2)Hours: Open Monday-Friday for lunch & dinnerReservations: Book a few weeks in advanceTelephone: 01 42 94 24 02 (not answered during service)Average price for lunch: 20-39€Average price for dinner: 20-39€, if you order a lot of small platesStyle of cuisine: Modern French, small platesBook Online

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Reviews of interest

Not Drinking Poison in Paris (2014) “Cordonnier and Langevin have summoned a blast from the present, replete with all the tasteful grace notes of up-to-date Parisian restaurateurism: versatile menu construction, a kindly-priced wine list speckled with foreign selections, and terrific hospitality.”

The Wall Street Journal (2014) “In a polished space near Gare Saint-Lazare, chef Marc Cordonnier creates daring but balanced small plates, including paper-thin slices of smoked monkfish slicked with sauce gribiche, and duck hearts with corn and shaved Gouda. Sommelier Louis Langevin has assembled a roster of natural wines from around the world. Lunch may be the city’s best deal right now…”

Alexander Lobrano (2014) “… some of the best service I’ve had in Paris in a long time… one of the the best duck terrines I’ve had during all my years in Paris with a lush garnish of quince and garlic puree decorated with carrot coins. Rich, emollient and distantly redolent of the barnyard like any great terrine, this one was a homely Gallic triumph so good that we briefly considered ordering another portion.”